Publications by authors named "Robson da Costa"

Cancer is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide and conventional chemotherapy frequently induce irreversible adverse effects in patients. Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common adverse effect of both paclitaxel (PTX) and oxaliplatin (OXA) chemotherapies, affecting approximately 30-50% of patients. As cancer survival rates have improved, the efforts of scientific community to develop new strategies for preventing CIPN are also growing.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A dysfunctional signaling pathway in the hippocampus has been linked to chronic pain-related memory impairment in mice.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a multifaceted disease characterized by degeneration of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons, which results in motor and non-motor dysfunctions. Accumulation of α-synuclein (αSYN) in Lewy bodies is a key pathological feature of PD. Although the exact cause of PD remains unknown, accumulating evidence suggests that brain infiltration of T cells plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of disease, contributing to neuroinflammation and dopaminergic neurodegeneration.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Oxaliplatin (OXA) is an antineoplastic agent used for the treatment of cisplatin-resistant tumours, presenting lower incidence of nephrotoxicity and myelotoxicity than other platinum-based drugs. However, OXA treatment is highly associated with painful peripheral neuropathy, a well-known and relevant side effect caused by mitochondrial dysfunction. The transfer of functional exogenous mitochondria (mitotherapy) is a promising therapeutic strategy for mitochondrial diseases.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) affects a significant percentage of patients receiving paclitaxel, leading researchers to explore TZD-A1, a new potential treatment.
  • The study involved various analyses to assess TZD-A1's interaction with PPARγ, its safety, and its effects on CIPN in mice, revealing a positive safety profile and effective reduction of neuropathy symptoms.
  • Results suggest that TZD-A1 mitigates the negative effects of paclitaxel by preventing neuroinflammation and mitochondrial damage, making it a promising candidate for enhancing the quality of life in cancer patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Sepsis is defined as a multifactorial debilitating condition with high risks of death. The intense inflammatory response causes deleterious effects on the brain, a condition called sepsis-associated encephalopathy. Neuroinflammation or pathogen recognition are able to stress cells, resulting in ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) release and P2X7 receptor activation, which is abundantly expressed in the brain.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Cognitive dysfunction is commonly observed in patients recovering from COVID-19, with the exact mechanisms not fully understood.
  • Research indicates that the Spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 can affect brain function, as shown in mouse studies where infusion of this protein leads to cognitive impairment similar to post-COVID-19 syndrome.
  • Key findings highlight that TLR4 signaling plays a crucial role in memory dysfunction related to the Spike protein, suggesting it could be a target for addressing long-term cognitive issues in individuals after COVID-19.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Sepsis survivors show long-term impairments, including alterations in memory and executive function. Evidence suggests that systemic inflammation contributes to the progression of Alzheimeŕs disease (AD), but the mechanisms involved in this process are still unclear. Boosted (trained) and diminished (tolerant) innate immune memory has been described in peripheral immune cells after sepsis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Taxane-derived drugs are antineoplastic agents used for the treatment of highly common malignancies. Paclitaxel and docetaxel are the most commonly used taxanes; however, other drugs and formulations have been used, such as cabazitaxel and nab-paclitaxel. Taxane treatment is associated with neurotoxicity, a well-known and relevant side effect, very prevalent amongst patients undergoing chemotherapy.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Transient receptor potential melastatin 3 (TRPM3) is a nonselective cation channel that is inhibited by Gβγ subunits liberated following activation of Gα protein-coupled receptors. Here, we demonstrate that TRPM3 channels are also inhibited by Gβγ released from Gα and Gα Activation of the G-coupled adenosine 2B receptor and the G-coupled muscarinic acetylcholine M1 receptor inhibited the activity of TRPM3 heterologously expressed in HEK293 cells. This inhibition was prevented when the Gβγ sink βARK1-ct (C terminus of β-adrenergic receptor kinase-1) was coexpressed with TRPM3.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Thioredoxin plays an essential role in bacterial antioxidant machinery and virulence; however, its regulatory actions in the host are less well understood. Reduced human Trx activates transient receptor potential canonical 5 (TRPC5) in inflammation, but there is no evidence of whether these receptors mediate bacterial thioredoxin effects in the host. Importantly, TRPC5 can form functional complexes with other subunits such as TRPC4.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Cinnamaldehyde is a natural essential oil suggested to possess anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties; and to activate transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) channels expressed on neuronal and non-neuronal cells. Here, we investigated the immunomodulatory effects of cinnamaldehyde in an in vivo model of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) induced by lipopolysaccharide. Swiss mice received a single oral treatment with cinnamaldehyde 1 h before LPS injection.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

An altered form of the cellular prion protein, the PrPScor PrPRes, is implicated in the occurrence of the still untreatable transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. We have previously synthesized and characterized aromatic compounds that inhibit protease-resistant prion protein (PrPRes) accumulation in scrapie-infected cells. These compounds belong to different chemical classes, including acylhydrazones, chalcones and oxadiazoles.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: The aim of this work was to evaluate the pulmonary antimetastatic activity and the systemic toxicity of camptothecin-loaded microspheres.

Methods: PCL microspheres containing camptothecin (CPT) were prepared by the emulsion solvent/evaporation method and characterized according to their encapsulation efficiency, particle size, morphology, and drug release. The ability of CPT to inhibit the lung metastasis was verified using an experimental mouse model intravenously injected with metastatic B16- F10 melanoma cells.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF